To the Right Honourable the Lords and Commons Assembled in Parliament, at VVESTMINSTER.
The humble PETITION OF THE Knights, Gentry, Clergy, and Commonalty of the County of Kent, subscribed by the Grand Iury, the 11th of May 1648. at the Sessions of the Iudges, upon a speciall Commission of Oyer and Terminer, then executed at the Castle of Canterbury for the sayd County.
THat the deepe sence of our owne miseries with a Fellow feeling of the discontents of other Counties exposed to the like sufferings, prevayleth with us thus humbly to present to your Honours these our ardent desires.
1. THAT our most gratious Soveraigne Lord King CHARLES, may with all speed he admitted in safety and Honour, to Treat in person with his two Houses of Parliament, for the perfect setling of the Pence both of Church and Common Wealth, as also of his owne just rights, together with those of Parliament.
2. That for prevention and removall of the manifold inconveniencies occasioned by the continuance of the present Army, under the Command of the Lord Fairfax, their arrears may forthwith be Audited and they disbanded.
3. That according to the Fundamentall Constitution of this Common Wealth, we may for the future, be governed and judged by (the English Subjects undoubted birth-right) the knowne and established Lawes of the Kingdome, and not otherwise.
[Page 3]4. That according to the Petition of Right, our properly may not be invaded by any Taxes or Impositions whatsoever, and particularly that the heavy burthen of Excise may no longer be continued, or hereafter imposed upon us.
All which our earnest desires, we humbly recommend to your grave and serious considerations; not doubting of that speedy satisfaction therein, which the case requires, and we humbly expect: Whereby we may well hope to see (what otherwise we cannot but despayre of) a speedy and happy end of these sad and heavy pressures and distempers, whose continuance will inevitably ruine both our selves and our posterities; your timely prevention whereof by a cheerefull condescent to what we heer propound in order thereunto, shall oblige us ever to pray &c.
By the Deputy-Lievtenants of the County of Kent, the City and County of Canterbury, at their generall meeting at Maidstone, the 10. of May 1648.
VVHereas we understand that divers persons have given out, that they intend to assemble themselves towards the latter end of this moneth, or the beginning of the next, at severall daies and places, upon pretence to carry a Petition to the Parliament, which doth concerne matter against the authority of both Houses, and tendeth to the raising of Seditions and tumults within this County, we having lately received a speciall command from the House to use our best endeavours to preserve the peace of the County do hereby in order thereunto, advise all whom it may concerne, to forbeare all occasions of publique disturbance by any such tumultuous assembling of themselves, and from raising of parties and factions against the Parliament, upon this or any pretence whatsoever; and if any well affected Persons have beene abused and misled so as to signe and procure hands to any such seditious paper under the name of a Petition, and upon false giving out that the Deputy Lievetenants of this County do approve therof, to the end that such well meaning persons may be undeceived, we having seene a C [...]py of the sayd pretended Petition, doe heereby signifie our utter detestation of such seditious practises, and do advise all well-wishers to their Countrys peace, to take heede therof, and to counsell and perswade their Neighbours accordingly: And if any pretended Coppies of such pretended Petition come unto, or be in their hands, to deliver up the same unto the next Deputy Lievtenant: And we do hereby require the Ministers of the severall Parishes publiquely to reade this signification in their Parish Churches upon the next Lords Day after the receipt heereof, immediately before they begin their Morning Sermon [...] and the Churchwardens of the severall Parishes are heereby required the next day after the time appointed, for [Page 5] the said publication to certifie wh [...] hath beene done therein, under their hands un [...]o the next Deputy Liev [...]enant; who is hereby direct [...]d forthwith to transmit the said Certificate unto the standing Committee at Maidston, that so notice may be taken what Ministers and Churchwardens, or other persons do their du [...]ies therein: And such as shall be found wilfully faulty may be proceeded against accordingly.
- Anthony Wilding.
- Iohn Rivers.
- Richard Lee.
- Thomas Lewis.
- Ga. Oxinden.
- Rich. Beale.
- Tho. Seyliard.
- Law. Godfrey.
- Win. Iames.
- Io. Bix.
- William Keniorash.
To the Mayor of Gravesend, who is hereby required to cause Proclamation hereof to be made in open market next day after the receite hereof in the height of the Market, by the common Cryer, and afterwards to deliver it to the Minister of the said Parish, to reade it in the Churches, as abovesaid.
The Petitioners Vindication and Answer to the Deputy-Lievtenants Declaration against the sayd Petition.
VVEE the Knights, Gentry, Clergy, and Commonalty of the County of Kent, who have subscribed, and doe intend to present, the reall Petition (which is abusively called a pretended one, and a seditious paper) to the Honourable the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament at Westminster, according to the just Rights and Priviledges of the Subjects of England, in pursuance of the subscriptions of the Grand Jury of our County the 11. of May 1648. (who are and ought to be the representers of the sence of our County) have taken notice of a late Order or Declaration of th [...] D [...]pu [...]y Lievtenants of our County of the 16. of May 1648. [...]ending to the discountenance and suppressing of our sayd Petition; and untruly charging the same to contayne matter against the Authority of both Houses, (to whom it is addressed) and the Petitioners to be raysers of sedition and tumults. In a deepe sence whereof, and indignation of such false scandalls imposed on us, we doe declare to the world.
That the matter of our Petition, contaynes in it nothing but what is just and fit for free borne Subjects to demand, and tends to the preserving of the Peace, not onely of our County, but of the whole Kingdome.
And the maner of our inten [...]ions to prosecute the same, shall be so peaceable (on our parts) as shall not give occasion of tumults or publicke disturbance.
We doe protest against raysing any factions against the Parliament, to whom we addresse our selves for a just relief of ou [...] grievances: in pursuance of the right of Subjects, and their owne Ordinances, and (our desires being so just, and our intentions so peaceable) wee must declare, that (notwithstanding all the menacing threats published to our discouragemen) we shall go on to prosecute our just rights and desires, in such a way as shall neyther render us guilty of sedition, or publike disturbance, nor of betraying our selves to the violence of such who shall unjustly endeavour to oppose us.
And we doe desire all persons of our County, well affected to the sayd Petition, not to be discouraged from the just prosecution thereof, upon any threats or orders whatsoever. Our intention being (if it shall please God so to dispose of us) to sacrifice our lives and fortunes in the prosecution of those our just rights and desires.
We have not a desire to deceive any, nor have we endeavoured to mislead any with pretending the Deputy Lievtenants of our Counties approbation of our Petition. Nor doe we desire any to joyne with us, but those whose reason and conscience dictate to themselves the sence of our Petition.